Mail-box.



W. 0. GRDENKE.

MAIL Box.- APPLICATION FILED mafia-190s.

2 sums-55:21 '1.

INVENTOYR I 7 WC. Graeme,

Patented Oct. 13,1908.

W.50. GROENKE.

, MAIL BOX. rmani-101w FILED 11:12, iaoa.

Patnted Oct. 13,1908.

witnesses WILLIAM G. GROENKE, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

MAIL-B OX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedOct. 13, 1908.

Application filed March 12, 1908. Serial No. 420,661.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. GROENKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention provides a receiver designed most especially forcatching and retaining mail or like matter thrown from a moving train,the appliance being of such construction as to protect the matter frominclement weather and from being tampered with by parties bent uponmischief.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof andalso to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the meansfor effecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings.

While the invention may be adapted to different forms and conditions bychanges in the structure and minor details without departing from thespirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment isshown in the accompanying drawings, in which: I i I Figure 1 is aperspective view of a mail receiver embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is avertical transverse section thereof, on the line 22 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 isa vertical longitudinal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in thedirection of the arrows. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of thelock, the parts being separated. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on theline 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the automaticdumping table.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The appliance or receiver is designed to be placed at a station or otherconvenient point to receive mail or like matter from a moving train, andcomprises a catcher 3 having an open mouth 4, a throat-portion 2 and a'box 1. The several parts may be of any desired construction and arepreferably formed of metal which may either be cast or pressed into therequired shape. The catcher 3 is closed at its bottom, top and sides andmay be of any size so as to receive one-or more mail bags or likecontainers. An opening is provided in a side of the catcher and isclosed by means of a door 5 which is secured by the appliance.

.bars 12 are means of a specially devised look so as to render the sameas near burglar proof as possible. The lock consists of a weighted lever6 and interlocking disk tumblers 7 and 8 having correspondingdepressions in their edges to receive a lug 9 of the lever 6 when thelock is opened. One of the tumblers is provided with a semi-circularslot to receive a projection of the companion tumbler. When the tumblersare turned by means of a suitable key to bring their notched edges inregister to receive the lug 9, the weighted end of the lever 6 descends,thereby permitting the opposite end of the lever to automaticallydisengage itself from a stop 10 at the side of the door opening oppositeto that to which the door 5 is hinged.

The box 1 is provided at one side with an opfining forming the mouth 4of the receiver w 'ch comprises a side and ends, said mouth being fittedto the open side of the box and having its side-inclined upwardly andaway from the open side of the box so as to direct a bag or other matterlodging thereon into the receiver. The throat-portion 2 connects thebottom of the box 1 with the top of the catcher 3 and establishescommunication between them. A dumping table 11 is arranged within thethroat-portion 2 and prevents anyone from withdrawing a package ormatter from the catcher after the same has been received therein. Thedumping-table 11 is automatic in action and turns by the weight of thebag or other container holding the matter delivered from a moving trainto The throat-portion 2 is of less dlmensions than the catcher 3, and toprevent the lodgment of' a mail bag or other container upon the shouldersurrounding the upper end of the throatortion 2, rods or rovided an arearranged between the si es of the box 1 and its bottom so as to inclineupward and outward from the said throat-portlon.

The receiver may be of any size, construction and design and is adaptedto be placed in any convenient position to receive the mail thrown froma moving train, said mail entering the open mouth 4 and passing into thebox 1, thence through the throat-portion 2 into the catcher 3 andadapted to be removed from said catcher through the opening closed bythe door 5.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A mail bag receiver, the same comprising a catcher, having an openmouth, a I of shoulders, and an automatic dumping ta- 10 throat portion,and a boX, and an automatic I ble arranged within said. throat portion.dumping table mounted in said throat por- In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature tion. A 1 b in presence of two witnesses.

2. 1na1 a receiver, com rlslng a r v 1 a 1 catcher having an open mouth,a t iroat por- ILLIAM GLOEA tion, and a box, means interposed betweenWitnesses: the sides of the box and the upper end of the EMIL J.STIEMKE, said throat portion to prevent the formation JULIUS STEFFEN.

